Sunscreen | The Mommy Insider

It’s hot in Atlanta.. 97 degrees hot – and I, for one am a bit tired of it. We had our backyard ‘renovated’ a few weeks ago so we could enjoy it more while sitting on the back porch but it’s too hot to sit outside for more than 5 minutes at a time. The kids are having a blast though. Madelyn and Sebastian are like fish. They love being in the water whether it’s a lake, beach, pool, or river. Sebastian is more of a river and lake kind of guy while Madelyn’s a pool and beach girl. Needless to say we spend a lot of time outdoors, water or not. They’ve been attending an outdoor nature camp for the past few weeks and you can only imagine how sweaty they get from being out in the heat all day. I rarely hear a complaint from them come pick up time. How do they do it? I’m a cranky mess after being outside for ten minutes, let alone 8 hours!

With summer sun comes summer fun! Summer is a great time for the whole family to get together and have fun outside no matter if it’s in your backyard or at the beach. We keep plenty of sunscreen on hand 365 days a year so that when it is super sunny outside or when the kids are going to ge swimming, we have enough to reapply several times throughout the day.

We’ve been using three Banana Boat® products for about a week as we play and work outside. The kids, being at summer camp around sandy lake shores, used Banana Boat®’s lightweight SunComfort™ Clear UltraMist®Sunscreen which even after applying, sand brushes off the skin easily – almost unheard of after applying sunscreen, and it is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.

I really like Banana Boat’s Sport Performance Lotion Sunscreen with Powerstay Technology. The lotion’s formula is light-weight, sweat resistant, water resistant (up to 80 minutes), quick absorbing, non-greasy and won’t run in eyes. I sweat like mad when I’m working in the garden and nothing stops me from pulling weeds and trimming bushes quicker than my eyes burning from sunscreen dripping into them. Powerstay Technology boosts staying power to provide heavy duty protection throughout all outdoor activities in lotion form.

Banana Boat^® has reformulated its Dry Oil Clear UltraMist^® Sunscreen to now include argan oil – a product used often on hair and skin. This unique lightweight dry oil formula goes beyond sun protection, leaving skin feeling silky-smooth and moisturized anddelivers one touch spray for quick, easy coverage with a light-weight, non-greasy feel.

Sunscreen Application & Usage Tips

Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to you and your kids’ entire bodies 30 minutes before going outside.
Reapply sunscreen every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
Use the type of sunscreen that your child enjoys most. It’s important to make the process of applying sunscreen easy and enjoyable, not a dreaded task, so if your child prefers a spray sunscreen, stick with Banana Boat’s SunComfort Continuous Spray SPF 30 or 50+. If your child prefers a lotion sunscreen, use Banana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreen Lotion.
Use sunscreen everyday. Your child’s skin can be harmed by constant sun exposure, whether or not your child sees or feels a sunburn.
Make it a habit to carry sunscreen with you all the time! I have a sunscreen stick in my purse and I keep sunscreen spray in my car and our pool/beach bag.
It is widely thought that if sunscreen is used regularly by children through the age of 18, there would be a 72% reduction in the cases of skin cancer later in life.

My kids are well aware that with the heat and long days of summer sun comes exposure to dangerous UVBs, the burning rays of the sun. Applying sunscreen is part of our routine, whether it’s 97 degrees or 50 degrees. You might think that’s strange but protection from sunburn is not the most important reason for wearing sunscreen. You want to reduce damage from the sun. Your skin can be harmed by constant sun exposure, whether or not you see a burn. Sunburn is an immediate reaction, but damage from the sun occurs over a lifetime. You don’t want your child either now or as an adult to experience skin cancer.

My daughter experienced melanoma at just five years old. A tiny mole developed on her upper arm. The mole got larger and larger so I took her to the pediatrician who immediately referred her to a dermatologist. The dermatologist told me he needed to do a biopsy right away and I got a phone call a few days later telling me I needed to bring her in that day to have the melanoma removed. I was beside myself – melanoma on my five year old? That was a horrible couple of weeks. She’s fine now and we have since started using sunscreen daily, not just in the summer.

I am not trying to scare you into using sunscreen but I want you to see the reality of skin cancer. My daughter’s pediatrician couldn’t confirm that the melanoma was a result of too much exposure to UV rays – we’ve always used sunscreen and often wear sunhats and UV protective clothing, but no one is immune to skin cancer. Not even children. Lessen the chances that your child will experience something like what my daughter did by applying sunscreen everyday.

Enough of the serious stuff!

We took a road trip to (HOT!) Washington D.C. at the beginning of the summer to see my husband’s brother and wife and we’re travelling to the beaches of North Carolina when the kids are out of summer camp. We’re staying at a beach house with two of my Aunts, two cousins, three of my cousins kids, and my mom, and of course my kids and my husband! It’s going to be a full house and we’re already stocking up on games, beach toys, and sunscreen for our great big family reunion! It’s so important to spend time with family, no matter how far away they live, so start searching for the perfect destination for your next family get together!

Speaking of..

Enter to WIN a Banana Boat® Great Big Family Reunion!

Banana Boat® Great Big Family Reunion offers summer fun in the sun adventures for the whole family. While you’re on the website, you can enter a sweepstakes that offers the chance for one lucky family to win a reunion for up to 50 of their family members and friends. Participants can also spin the Wheel of Fun for exciting activities to entertain their families all summer long! The sweepstakes ends July 5, 2015.

The Banana Boat® Great Big Family Reunion wants to give one lucky family a reunion for up to 50 of their family members and friends! Participants can also spin the Wheel of Fun for exciting activities to entertain their families all summer long! All you have to do is select up to 50 people via email or Facebook to join your reunion party for a a chance to win!

AND..

Right here on TheMommyInsider.com, you can enter to win one of five $30 Banana Boat® Prize Packs including Banana Boat® koosie, key chain, draw string backpack and three sunscreen products!

Banana Boat “Great Big Family Reunion” Sweepstakes

Learn more about Banana Boat®

How many times have you re-thought applying sunblock on your child because she was soaking wet? You know as well as I do that it’s important to keep your child’s skin protected with sunblock and now you don’t have to worry about if she’s wet or dry. Nuetrogena’s Wet Skin Sunblock can be applied directly to wet skin! Someone once told me that you should reapply sunscreen as often as the strength of the suncreen. For example, if the sunblock is SPF30, then reapply it every 30 minutes. Don’t quote me on that, but I think it sounds like a great idea.

My family recently received sunblock from the Neutrogena Wet Skin line to try out including SPF 30, SPF 50, Kids SPF 70, +and 85+. We have used these almost every day since. Most parents and kids (that’s you too) are outside for hours a day, and whether the kids are playing in the sand, mom and dad are doing yard work, or we’re just out and about, we are exposed to the sun (UV rays). So put on the sunblock just like you put on a shirt!

Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunblock — Wet Skin Kids Sunblock Spray SPF 70+

About 90% of non-melanoma skin cancer is caused by ultra-violet exposure.

Neutrogena’s Wet Skin Sunblock is the first sunblock with helioplex and is designed to be applied directly to wet skin. Wet Skin spray technology instantly cuts through water to form a broad spectrum UVA/UVB protective barrier. I’m sure you are great about applying sunscreen before your kids go out to play or swim but sunblock doesn’t last forever and for optimal performance and protection it sunblock should be reapplied throughout the day.

Did you know that one of the largest risk factors for non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers is severe sunburns as a child? Please don’t let your child get sunburned. Not only does a sunburned child make for a sleepless night, but that sunburn also increases their risk of developing skin cancer. Carry Neutrogena’s Wet Skin Sunblock in your diaper bag, purse, beach bag, or picnic basket and use it!

Skin Cancer Facts

These Pediatric skin cancer facts are from The Skin Cancer Foundation website and the American Cancer Society website.

Melanoma accounts for up to three percent of all pediatric cancers.⁴⁵
Melanoma is seven times more common between the ages of 10 and 20 than it is between birth and 10 years.⁴⁷
Diagnoses — and treatment — are delayed in 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases.³²
Ninety percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10-19.⁴⁶
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. It accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States. More than 2 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are found in this country each year.

One more very important tip.. put sunscreen on your and your kids even on overcast days. Moms, this skin cancer in our children is something that we can help prevent! Let’s do all we can. Don’t be lazy about applying sunscreen and don’t give in if your child is stubborn about it. My son hates applying sunblock, although now that mist sunblock is available, he’s better about it.
Ok, just one more tip.. apply sunblock behind your child’s ears, on their feet, and on the back of their legs.

I’ll make it easy for you.. click here to get a $2 off coupon any Neutrogena^® Suncare or Sunless product or click here to save $2 when you buy any Neutrogena^® Suncare or Sunless product online.

About Neutrogena:

Do you have any summer skin care/sunblock tips? Share them with us in the comments below.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Neutrogena and received sunscreen and other Neutrogena products as a thank you for my participation.